EXCEL FUNCTIONS-SUMIF

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

If you already know the very basic SUM FUNCTION , this SUMIF function is an advanced version of that, letting us to put a condition on our summation.

SUMIF function comes under the MATH AND TRIG FUNCTIONS category in Excel.

This function is very useful in a case when there is one principle condition, on the basis of which a final calculation needs to take place.

SUMIF FUNCTION LETS THE USER CONTROL THE SUM BASED ON THE GIVEN CONDITION. WHICH MEANS, WE CAN SPECIFY WHEN TO SUM AND WHEN NOT TO SUM.

The article would introduce the function followed by a few examples for the demonstration of usage of the function.

PURPOSE OF SUMIF IN EXCEL

SUMIF function adds up the different given values or a range only if a particular criteria is met, otherwise it rejects the calculation.

PREREQUISITES TO LEARN SUMIF

THERE ARE A FEW PREREQUISITES WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS FUNCTION IN A BETTER WAY.

  • Basic understanding of how to use a formula or function.
  • How to use SUM(CLICK HERE)
  •  Of course, Excel software.

Helpful links for the prerequisites mentioned above

What Excel does? How to use formula in Excel?

SYNTAX: SUMIF FUNCTION

The Syntax for the function is

=SUMIF(LOOKUP_RANGE, CRITERIA, SUM_RANGE)


LOOKUP_RANGE The range which will be searched for the criteria

CRITERIA criteria to be checked on LOOKUP_RANGE

SUM_RANGE The values which will be summed up if criteria is true.



EXAMPLE:SUMIF FUNCTION IN EXCEL

DATA SAMPLE

SUMIF FUNCTION contains three argument.

The lookup range,criteria and Sum Range.

The data contains the details of 4 person. Their age, income and tax paid by them.

We’ll try to find out the tax paid by the people whose age is greater than 25.  

AGEINCOMETAX
232000002000
253000003000
184000004000
301000006000
EXCEL: SUMIF FUNCTION EXAMPLE

STEPS TO USE SUMIF

The example contains the ages as 23,25,18,30.

We’ll use the function as

=SUMIF(E5:E8,”>25″,G5:G8)

First argument is E5:E8 i.e. our lookup range which is AGE in our case  , where we would put the criteria.

Second is the criteria, which is >25 i.e. age should be greater than 25. use “” to put the criteria.

Third range is our sum range, which would we sum as per the criteria and result will be from the sum range.

The result comes out to be 6000 which is the tax paid by the person aged 30 as he is the only one >25 in the group.

DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING SUMIF FUNCTION

SUMIF USING THE SAME LOOKUP AND SUM RANGE

It is not always necessary to use all the three arguments. If our lookup range and sum range are same, we can still use SUMIF.

Let us take the same example and find out the income of people where income is greater than 150000.

The data again in same.

AGEINCOMETAX
232000002000
253000003000
184000004000
301000006000
EXCEL: SUMIF FUNCTION EXAMPLE 2

EXPLANATION TO THE STEPS

The data is given.

We need to find out the total income greater than 150000.

So we use the function as =SUMIF(F21:F24,”>150000″)

The first argument is the lookup range, on which the condition will be applied.

So we take the range,the second argument is the criteria, which we applied as per the statement that the income shouldn’t be more than 150000. We omit the third criteria here.The answer appears as 900000 which is correct.